Punch



June 10, 1941. J. A. CARPENTER PUNCH Filed May 18, 1959 Patented June 10, 194i PUNCH .lohn A. lCarpenter,'West Newton, Mass., assigner to Nen/'England Paper Punch Company, Natick, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application MaylS, 1939, S,erial:No..274,374

10 Claims. (Cl. 164-91) `This invention relates to annuali-particularly yadapted foruse as apaper punch. I

The invention has for anobject. to Drovidea .novel andsuperior construction of. punch and particularly. of` amulti-holepunch which is light inweight, simple and efficient in operation and which .may be economically. manufactured.

With this general objectoin view-` and such others as rmay hereinafter appear, thenvention consists in the. punch and in the Various structures, arrangements and. combinations of `parts hereinafter described and. particularly deiinedin the claims` at the end of this specification.

In the drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment` of the invention,. Fig. l is a plan view of a multi-hole punch embodying the present invention, the central portion of the housingbeing broken away; Fig. 2 is a front elevation having a portion of the housing broken away and in ,cross-section; Fig. 3 is .an end view showing the i punch in its depressedior operating position; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing the punch in its raised position.

In, general, in its preferred form, the present invention contemplates amulti-hole punch particularly adapted for punchingV a plurality of, `and as herein shown, three holes in one or more sheets of paper to prepare such sheets to lbe inserted into or incorporated with a stan-dard three-ring loose-leaf` binder. The present multi-hole punch is designed to permit the punching operation to be easily `and conveniently performed while the punch is held and operated in one hand, without resting the punch upon a table or other support. In order to adapt the punch to be operated `in such manner, the operating lever or handle is pivotally mounted adjacent the punch members in a manner such as to enable the punching operation to be performed by rocking the operating lever in a direction tow-ard the rear of the device and away from the front or :paper inserting end of the punch. In, prior multi-hole punch-es of which I am aware, the parts are so constructed and arranged as to require the operating handle to be rocked toward the front or paper feeding end of the punch. In such a construction, it is necessary to set the punch on a table or other support and to then rock the operating lever toward the operator to perform the punching operation.

Other features of the present multi-hole paper -punch includes simplicity of design, relative lightness in weight and rigidity of construction, fewer operating parts and economy .of manufacture. Provision is also made in the .improved .wardpositicn of the punchmember l0.

construction for `receiving thepunched out portionsof the-paperin a` detachable base member which may be quickly and easily removed to dispose ofthe punched out portions.

Referring now to the drawing, l0 represents Lthe punch members .of the `presentv multi-hole members` -i are arranged-to cooperate to-punch -outholesin one or more. sheetsfof paper- `lli. In

the preferred embodiment of the invention,` the `punch members l0 are yieldingly supported in `punch hclders-l8-which `may bewelded or otherwiseisecured to the topfof theipunchplate l2.

I .As herein shown,- each punch holder comprises an .upper guide armiZl `and a lower guide larm 22. joinedtogetherby the side walls 24, 26 formed integrally therewith-to providemaXimu-m rigidity and. stability for the holder. The guide arms .are provided with holes throughwhich the punch :members- -are yslidingly fitted in `vertical align- -ment` withtheir respective holes in the punch .plate .tratedis further provided with a raisedor upset ranged tobe normally held in itsfraised position, .as illustratedin Fig. 4,.by a spring 30 lcoiled about `the upper end of the punch member, one end of the spring bearing againstthe toipof the arm 2E) and the other end `bearing against a split ring orfwasher 32 which is fitted into a grooved -portion; immediately below the upper end of the punchinember. Each 4punch member i0 is further `provided with a shouldered portion 34 which bearsagainstthe underside ofthe upper guide arni. 2li of the holder i3 in order to limit the up- Itwill be observed that the lower arm 22 `of each punch holder is .offset with relation. to the base 36 of thelholder, in order to provide a space 38 4between .the arm 22 and the punch plate I2 between which the paper i6 is fed. The forward ends of each member 22 and i2 are ared as at 40, E2, respectively, to provide a mouth portion into which the paper to be punched is guided. The inner edge 413 of the base portion 36 serves as a stop for the edge of the paper it to register the latter in the preferred position for punching.

in the illustrated and preferred embodiment of the invention, each punch member l0 isV arranged vto be depressed by a hinged cam member lit which is pivotally mounted upon a pin 48 held in spaced arms 59, 52, extending from and forming a part of the side walls 2li, 26 of the punch holder I3. As herein shown, the pivotal point t8 of each cam member 45 is disposed at the forward or paper feeding end 5t of the punch and in advance of the punch members Iii, so that in operation, ithe punch members may be depressed by rocking the hinged members in a direction toward the rear 55 of the multi-hole punch. Each hinged member #i5 is provided with a curved cam surface 58 arranged to engage the top of its respective punch member I. The hinged members, as herein shown, may be welded or otherwise secured to an elongated hand lever iii] which is curved outwardly and rounded over at the back end as indicated at 62 in Figs. 1 and 3, in order to provide a convenient shape to be grasped by the hand and to provide sufficient leverage in the operation of the punch. The forward portion of the hand lever is preferably rounded over as at 613 to serve as a shield for the front end of the punch. Each cam member fli is provided with depending ribs t, (i8 in order :to provide maximum rigidity to the members. The rear portion 56 of the punch is provided with a curved back shield it which extends throughout the length of the punch and which may be riveted or otherwise secured to the rear vertical wall or turned down edge portion I2 of the punch plate I2,

Y As herein illustrated, the present punch is provided with a removable or detachable base member l'fi, arranged to provide a space or depository 'It for the punched out portions of the paper. The front or forward edge of the base member is turned up as at 78 to form a hooked portion adapted to receive the forward edge of the punch plate i2 in order to provide a retaining edge for the base member in its assembled position and to provide a pivotal point about which the base member is swung when the latter is to be attached or detached from the punch. As herein shown, when the base member is in its assembled position, the depending edge l2 of the punch plate rests against the top of the base member le. In order to retain the base in its assembled relation, a spring steel snap-on member 89 is provided which is secured to the top of the base member and which extends upwardly and inwardly to t into a depressed or cut-out portion 82 formed in the back shield '10. An angularly extended portion 3a is provided to form a convenient handle by which the snap-on member may be depressed to withdraw the latter from the cut-out or retaining portion 82. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, and as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the inwardly extended portion of the snap-on member rests against the top of the base portion 36 of one of the punch holders I 8 in order to yieldingly retain the parts in their assembled relation. Thus it will be seen that the base member 'ifi together with the punch plate I2 forms a convenient depository for the punched out portions of the paper and the base member may be easily removed to dispose of such portions as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

As herein shown, the base member 'lli is also provided with an outwardly curved and rounded portion 8b at the back end which may and preferably will correspond to the curved and rounded portion t2 of the hand lever 6 in order to provide a convenient shape to Vbe grasped by the hand of the operator. One end of fthe base member 'I4 is provided with an upstanding edge 88 which serves as a guide or stop for one edge of the paper and which together with the edge 44 of the punch holders I serves to register the paper in predetermined position for punching.

From the above description of sthe preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be observed that in the operation of the present device, the operator may grasp the punch in one hand, holding the punch by the curved portions 62, 86, and may insert the paper to be punched with the other hand and by simply pressing the hand lever to rock the latter towards the rear of the device, the hinged cam members 46 operate to depress the punch members Ill to perform the punching operation. As heretofore observed, other multi-hole paper punches of which I am aware are so constructed and arranged as to require pressure of the operating lever in a direction towards the front of the device so that it is necessary to set the punch on a table or other support in order to perform the punching operatio-n. In such a construction the operating lever is necessarily extended over the paper to be punched, thereby obstructing the vision of the operator making it diiiicult and inconvenientV to adjust the material under the handle into position to be punched and requiring an awkward position of the hands when the punching operation is performed.

rThe present punch may also be operated while being set upon a table or vother suppont, and, when so used, the position of the operating handle is such as to provide unobstructed vision and a more natural position thereby enabling the operator to workmore rapidly and with more eii'iciency than with other types of multi-hole punches.

The present multi-hole punch may be made light in weight, with the major portion constructed of sheet metal, preferably aluminum, which may be stamped out to the required shape, thereby enabling the device to be manufactured economically. Although light in weight, the parts are designed to provide maximum rigidity and structural strength by turning over the edges of the material. The present device employs a minimum number of pants which may be economically manufactured and assembled to produce a punch which is simple in design and convenient and ecient in operation.

For purposes of illustration the invention has been shown and described as embodied in a multi-hole punch, but it will be understood that it may also be embodied in a single hole punch if desired.

While the preferred embodiment of fthe invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

I-Iaving thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A multi-hole paper punch comprising a plurality of vertically and yieldable supported punch members, a punch plate having a plurality of holes with which said punch members are adapted to cooperate and a pivotally mounted cam member having a concave portion directly engageable with the top of each of said yieldable mounted punch members and arranged to depress the latter when rocked in a direction away from the paper receiving end of the punch where- ?.V tle Punch may be operated while held in the .ian

2. A multi-hole punch comprising a plurality of yieldingly supported punch members, a punch plate having a plurality of holes with which said punch members are adapted tc cooperate, a pivotally mounted depressing member arranged to engage said punch members and to depress the latter when rocked in a direction away from the work receiving end of the punch, and a detachable base member arranged to form a depository for the punched out portions of the paper, said detachable base member being arranged to hook over the forward end of said punch plate and provided with a snap or clip engageable with the top of said punch plate at the rear end thereof to yieldingly and detachably lock said base in position.

A3. A multi-hole punch comprising a plurality of yieldingly supported punch members, a punch plate having a plurality of holes with which said punch members are adapted to cooperate, a pivotally mounted operating lever, and connections between the latter and said punch members adapted to depress said punch members when said operating handle is rocked in a direction away from the work receiving end of the punch, and a detachable base member arranged to form a depository for the punched out portions of the paper, said operating lever and said base member each being provided with corresponding outwardly curved portions at the back end thereof adapted to be engaged by the hand for operating the punch.

4. A multi-hole paper punch comprising a plurality of yieldably supported punch members, a punch plate having a plurality of holes with which said punch members are adapted to coperate, operating means for -depressing said punch members into operative engagement with said punch plate comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted individual cam members, one for each punch, each cam member having a concave portion directly engageable with the top of its respective punch member and an operating handle to which said cam members are secured, said cam members being arranged to depress their respective punch members when said operating'handle is rocked in a direction away from the paper receiving end of the punch.

5. A multi-hole punch comprising a plurality of yieldably supported punch members, a plurality of individual supporting members in which said punch members are individually supported, a punch plate having a plurality of holes with which said punch members are arranged to cooperate and upon which said individual supporting members are mounted, a plurality of pivotally mounted cam members supported in said individual supporting members, each cam member having a concave portion directly engageable with the top of its respective punch member and an operating handle to which said cam members are secured, said cam members being arranged to depress their respective punch members when said operating handle is rocked in a direction away from the paper receiving end of the punch.

6. A multi-hole paper punch comprising a plurality of vertically and yieldably supported punch members, a punch plate having a plurality of holes with which said punch members are adapted to cooperate and operating means for clepressing said punch members into operative engagement with said punch plate comprising a hinged cam member having its pivotal point dise posed adjacent the paper receiving end of the punch in advance of and below the top of said punch members, said cam member having a concave portion directly engageable with the tcp of each of said yieldably supported punch members, and an operating handle to which said cam member is secured whereby the punch members may be depressed when said operating handle is rocked in a direction away from the paper receiving end of the punch.

7. A multi-hole paper punch comprising a plurality of vertically and yieldably supported punch members, a punch plate having a plurality of holes with which said punch members are adapted to cooperate and operating means for depressing said punch members into operative engagement with said punch plate comprising a hinged cam member having its pivotal point disposed adjacent the paper receiving end of the punch in advance of and below the top of said punch members, said cam member having a concave portion engageable with the top of each of said yieldably supported punch members, and an operating handle to which said cam member is secured whereby the punch members may be depressed when said operating handle is rocked in a direction away from the paper receiving end of the punch, said operating handle being curved at its forward end to form a shield for said yieldably supported punch members and said operating means.

8. A multi-hole paper punch comprising a plurality of yieldably supported punch members, a punch plate having a plurality of holes with which said punch members are adapted to cooperate, operating means for depressing said punch members into operative engagement with said punch plate comprising a plurality of piv otally mounted individual cam members, one for each punch, each cam member having a concave portion engageable with the top of its respective punch member and an operating handle to which said cam members are secured, said cam` members being arranged to depress their respective punch members when said operating handle is rocked in a direction away from the paper receiving end of the punch, said operating handle being curved at its forward endto form a shield for said yieldably supported punch members and said operating means. V

9. A multi-hole punch comprising a plurality of vertically supported punch members, a punch plate having a plurality of holes with which said punch members are arranged to cooperate, and a pivotally mounted operating 'handle arranged to engage said punch members to perform the punching operation, said handle comprising an elongated member being curved downwardly at its forward end and having depending side walls whereby to form a shield Within Which said vertically supported punch members are located.

10. A multi-hole punch comprising a plurality of yieldably supported punch members, a punch plate having a plurality of holes with which said punch members are adapted to cooperate, and operating means for depressing said punch members to perform the punching operation including a pivotally mounted operating handle comprising an elongated member being curved downwardly at its forward end and having depending side walls, the rear edge of said member being also downwardly curved whereby to form a shield for said yieldingly supported punch mem- Y bers and said operating means.

JOHN A. CARPENTER. 

